:::…The Tide News Online:::…

EFCC Accuses Orji Kalu Of Jumping Bail

EFCC Accuses Orji Kalu Of Jumping Bail

Former Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Kalu was last Monday accused of jumping bail after hearing in a case of alleged fraud of N7.65billion was stalled last Monday due to the absence of the ex-governor in the court.
Kalu’s lawyer, Prof Awa Kalu (SAN) told Justice Mohammed Idris at the Federal High Court in Lagos that his client was away in Germany for a surgical operation.
He noted that the ex-governor had been advised by his doctors to remain in Germany for some time to recuperate.
The defence counsel called for adjournment of the case, stating that the prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) was aware of the development.
But Jacobs expressed surprise at Kalu’s absence from court, denying any prior information of when the ex-governor obtained the court’s permission to travel out of the country.
Describing the ex-governor’s absence from court as an attempt to frustrate the case, Jacob urged Justice Idris to interpret Kalu’s absence to mean that he had jumped bail.
“I am not aware when the 1st defendant wanted to travel. We only got to know that the 1st defendant travelled abroad for medical treatment through a statement by his media aide, one Kunle Oyewunmi.
“Things must be done in accordance with the law. In my own view, what happened is that the 1st defendant has jumped bail. This is an attempt to further frustrate this trial because no application was made to the court to travel.

You may like

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirm said Governor Nyesom Wike is committed to saving the lives of people living and doing business in the State, following the various measures put in place to check the spread of the novel Coronavirus disease.

Nsirim who stated this while inaugurating a team of Volunteers on COVID-19 Mobile Enlightenment at the State Secretariat in Port Harcourt, said the Wike led administration will continue to intensify efforts aimed at containing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in preventing community transmission in the State.

Nsirim who is also the Chairman of the Rivers State Inter-Ministerial Committee for Enlightenment on Covid-19 said since the outbreak of the disease, Governor Wike has demonstrated remarkable capacity to check the spread of the virus in the State, noting that their inauguration is a boost to the street to street enlighten campaign that Covid-19 is real.

Members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Pastor Nsirim include the State Commissioners for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Olisaelloka Tasie-Amadi, Commissioner for Youths, Prince Ohia Obi and their counterpart in the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Tamuno Igbiks.

According to Nsirim, “Our Governor has shown the right leadership. In fact, there’s no State in this country where a Governor has spearheaded the fight against coronavirus like our Governor has done. He was the first to close boarders, close markets, close schools. He was the first to sign executive orders. He was the first to chair and supervise an implementation committee that was going around this State to ensure that people adhere to the protocol.

“He has committed his time, his energy and resources to ensure that this State is safe. Continually he has been saying this. His primary goal this season is to save lives, Nsirim stated,

He further said street to street prevention campaign was critical in containing the virus and urged residents of the State to adhere to all the rules and directives including social distancing and compulsory wearing of facemask to avoid further spread of the pandemic in the State.

The Commissioner urged the volunteers to see their responsibility in the same spirit as the State Governor, which, Pastor Nsirim said is to save lives, urging them to discharge their duties with utmost dedication, adding that “All of you have been carefully chosen to carry out enlightenment and sensitization for our State.”

Continuing, he said, “The task before you is enormous. As you can see every day our State is recording new cases of Coronavirus. What do we do to ensure that we contain the spread? The only alternative left for us now is to move from street to street to pass the message of prevention to our people for them to obey the relevant protocol that have been established during this period.”

Nsirim emphasized that just as the Governor’s primary goal this season is to save lives, they should see their task of awareness creation on coronavirus as their own contribution to save lives in the State. “You need to let the people know that the virus is with us and that they must practice social distancing, wearing of face mask and maintenance of personal hygiene,” the commissioner stated.

Nsirim advised that people who have the symptoms of the virus which include dry cough, high temperature, loss of taste, body weakness and difficulty in breathing should seek medical attention, saying people should not be afraid of the symptoms of the disease because it is not a death sentence.

RSG Warns Owner Of Proudest Hotel To Stop Blackmailing NCDC

Our attention has been drawn to a recent misleading petition, signed by one Mr. Needam Promise Gogorobari, Owner, Prodest Hotel and dated 24th May 2020,
to the effect that the convicted Manager of Prodest Hotel, Mr. Bariledum Job Azoroh, who recently tested positive for Covid-19 disease amongst 27 others, in a result released by the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, may have allegedly been infected on the instructions of the Rivers State Government.

Much as we had restrained ourselves from responding to previous similar publications by this same person, since the subject matter was still before a court of competent jurisdiction, we are now compelled to reply this obviously spurious, deliberately misleading and intentionally provocative petition with a proper response, to set the records straight and caution the sponsors of this action from further pedlling such falsehoods in the public space.

For the avoidance of doubt and for the information of the general public, let us state categorically here that the FACTS of this matter are very clear, viz:

1. A Port Harcourt Senior Magistrates’ Court on May 18th, 2020 CONVICTED Mr. Bariledum Azoro, Manager of Prodest Hotel, Eleme and sentenced him to a fine of N50,000 for contravening paragraphs 3 and 4 of Executive Order RVSG 07 2020 on closure of hotels, guest houses and related outfits and provision of manifests in the state.

2. The Senior Magistrates’ Court also ordered that th convict,Mr. Azoroh should be quarantined at the Isolation Centre in Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia for 14 days to ascertain his coronavirus status.

3. That while in the Court Ordered Quarantine, competent health officials carried out mandatory tests on all suspected Coronavirus individuals at the centre, including Mr.Bariledum Job Azoroh, to ascertain their Covid-19 status.
It is important to state here that COVID-19 tests undergo World Health Organization, (WHO) and NCDC guidelines and are conducted under strict established medical protocols.

4. That prior to the publication of the test results, the owner of PRODEST Hotel Eleme, Mr. Gogorobari Needam had published one of his misleading petitions in an attempt to preempt the outcome of the test and the question we want to ask is: ‘Why did the hotel owner try to preempt the outcome of the test. Was he trying to cover up something?

5. That on Sunday, 24th May, 2020, the NCDC announced that Rivers State had 27 recorded positive cases including Mr.Bariledum Job Azoroh, from tests carried out in the state.

6. That following the official announcement of the result and confirmation of his Manager’s Covid-19 positive status, the PRODEST Hotel owner has once again released another statement and this time is now calling for a state of emergency in Rivers State because his manager tested positive for Covid-19.

7. Rivers people will recall that on May 19, 2020, we raised an alarm intimating the world of a clandestine plot by some Abuja politicians hiding under the cover of Covid-19 to instigate a State of Emergency in the state. Today, a hotel owner in Eleme, who lives in Lagos is also now calling for a State of Emergency. Is there any wonder therefore as to who is beating the drum for him?

8. Indeed there seems to be more to this than meets the ordinary eye and we are calling on all well-meaning people to see the need to interrogate this man and know that he is acting out a script. Infact, the entire petition sounds and reads like something lifted directly from the copy book of those who have been desperately trying to run down the Rivers State Government. This is desperation taken too far.

9. We even recall vividly that Mr. Needam Promise Gogorobari had, in an interview published in the Punch Newspaper of May 15, 2020 titled: “No ill feeling towards Wike for demolishing my hotel – Gogorobari”, actually stated categorically that he holds no grudge against Governor Wike for demolishing the hotel. His words: “Who am I not to forgive him? I don’t hold any grudge against him. I just feel that God wanted it to happen that way”. So what happened to make him change his mind? Is it not obvious that the agents of evil and those who do not mean well for Rivers State have reached him and are now beating this drum of dissent for him?

10. Again, We want to state categorically here that Government doesn’t conduct Covid-19 tests. Trained Health professionals follow the relevant medical protocols set down by WHO, the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, to conduct these tests.

11. The claim therefore that the PRODEST Hotel manager, Mr. Bariledum Job Azoroh, was infected while in detention is not only laughable and preposterous, but sadly and dangerously exposes the amazing ignorance and naivety of Mr. Needam Promise Gogorobari and those sponsoring him about the deadly nature of the Covid-19 disease. How does one even carry such a deadly virus around and infect people with it?

12. Rather than commend the Rivers State Government for stemming the tide of infection that would have arisen if the Hotel used for clandestine parties was not demolished and the Manager arrested, the owner is crying wolf where there is none.

13. We also want to caution Mr. Needam Promise Gogorobari to be very mindful of his claims that his hotel Manager “has been framed up by an unorthodox hired medical officers recruited by Governor Wike with a report that he has tested positive to COVID-19 whilst in detention with the Rivers State Government”.
This is a clear accusation and indictment of the reputation and authority of the NCDC.

14 We also want to call the attention of Mr. Needam Gogorobari that we take exception to his description of the Isolation Centre in Port Harcourt, as an “illegal detention facility in Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt” and to inform him and his sponsors that the Director General of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu and a team from the World Health Organization, were in Rivers State on a working visit in April this year and not only praised Governor Nyesom Wike for his leadership and handling of the Covid-19 outbreak. but also applauded his medical health team and all the facilities put in place in response to the Coronavirus.

We will therefore be keen to know how the NCDC will react, when they read your description of a facility they approved, as ‘a detention centre’.

15. Finally, we want to assure the good people of the state that the Rivers State Government remains resolute in its fight to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the state and we will not be deterred by cheap blackmail and misleading propaganda.

16 Governor Wike is determined to employ and deploy appropriate strategies to keep Rivers State safe.

17. We call on all residents to work together with the Governor to defeat Covid-19 in Rivers State and by the Grace of God we will be victorious.

Paulinus Nsirim
Commissioner for Information and Communications
May 26, 2020